


Keep Your Socks On

by Johngoode



Category: Marvel 616
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24482920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johngoode/pseuds/Johngoode
Summary: Peter Parker has always been stressed. Johnny Storm has always been aware of
Relationships: Peter Parker/Johnny Storm
Comments: 4
Kudos: 59





	Keep Your Socks On

Johnny Storm looked around in distaste, “Um, did Venom attack you in here or what?”

Peter stopped digging through the pile of dirty clothes and looked back at him, “Oh screw you.”

“Dude I'm serious, this place is...well this place is.”

Peter went back to searching for a shirt that didn't have food stains on it, “Well not all of us can live in The Jetsons and have robot maids.”

Johnny laughed, “Well sure, but they have invented washing machines.”

Peter picked up a shirt and smelled it, “I've been busy.”

“I just got back from Shiar space, stopped a civil war from breaking out, stopping a bunch of aliens from killing a bunch of other aliens. My clothes are clean.”

Peter sighed and pulled his t-shirt off, “Good for you.”

“I mean how hard is it to...”

Peter spun on Johnny, “I have rent. I have bills. Web fluid doesn't pay for itself and I haven't had a lot of spare change around. That ok with you?”

Johnny held his hands up and took a step back, “Ok fine, my bad.”

Peter shook his head and pulled another shirt on, “It's just not been a good month.”

“So then do them at my place.”

Peter paused, “Your place?”

“Yeah.”

“The Baxter Building?”

“Yeah,” he said and then paused. “Well it's technically my place. A quarter of my place. Well I don't know if my name is on the lease but I live there.”

“You want me to do my laundry at the Baxter Building?”

Johnny shrugged, “Why not? It has a big ol electrostatic cleaning thing that removes dirt like on a cellular level and Reed set this gadget up where the clothes come out of the dryer feeling like a cloud!”

Peter just stared at him.

“What?” Johnny exclaimed, “Look, man, come over on Sunday, bring your clothes, we can split a six-pack and hang out while you do your clothes.”

“I'm supposed to what, swing over with my hamper?”

“Oh yeah, well no. I'll come by and pick you up in a Fantasticar.”

“And how do I explain Johnny Storm showing up at Peter Parker's place?”

“I don't know, how do you explain it now?”

“You're not hovering outside my place in uniform, in civilian clothes no one knows who you are.”

Johnny scoffed, “Bitch, everyone knows who I am.”

Peter rolled his eyes.

“Ok, how about this. You come by Sunday, leave your clothes. I'll have a Herbie cloak over and grab your stuff?”

“You want to send a droid over to pick up my dirty laundry? Isn't that overkill?”

“Do you know how many of those things are floating around the house with nothing to do? Trust me, picking up your crap is like a vacation to them.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“PETE! Come on man, let me help you.”

Peter looked down at the pile and sighed, “Fine, but it just seems like a lot of trouble.”

Johnny flashed one of his million-dollar smiles, “I know you do, that's why I'm offering.”

The statement confused Pete, but he ignored it.

**Sunday**

“And this is my place!” Johnny said opening the door.

Peter marveled at the huge space. There were five, ceiling length windows overlooking New York, an impossibly large TV, a couple of leather chairs, and a bed big enough for the Giants to practice on in case their stadium flooded.

“You live here?” Peter asked, gobsmacked.

“Well this is my room, I have a place downtown but this is where my stuff is.”

Peter walked around, looking at the old pictures of him and his sister, before they were transformed, half a dozen baseball trophies from high school and several pictures of Johnny and his dad in racing uniforms.

Peter picked up one of them, “Your dad raced?”

“He was a mechanic, taught me everything I learned,” he answered proudly.

“Cool,” Peter remarked, putting it back down, “Should we check on the clothes?”

Johnny laughed, “Dude, the Herbies are programmed to defend against Doctor Doom, they can handle your underwear.”

“Whatever,” Peter said, walking around, looking at the other kick knacks.

“You up for some Overwatch?”

Peter looked over at the TV, “On that?”

“Kinda,” Johnny smiled, “Reed made me a couple sets of these,” he held up a set of high tech glasses, “We play it in our minds.”

Peter walked over as if in a trance, “Really?”

Johnny gestured to one of the chairs, “Sit and let me school you.”

The two men slipped the glasses on and spent the better part of an hour killing each other in virtual space. Peter took the glasses off and sat there, “Man, that is intense.”

“Right?” Johnny said taking his off, “I mean it's like you're really there.”

Pete nodded and then let out a huge yawn, “Sorry, rough night,”

Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“Please, unless you count getting pounded by Rhino...”

Both of Johnny's eyebrows went up.

“NOT LIKE THAT!” Pete screamed, “Jeez get your mind out of the gutter.”

Johnny chuckled, “Jeez dude, it was a joke.”

Pete nodded, “I just need a nap.”

“Then take one,” Johnny suggested.

“My clothes aren't done yet.”

“Duh. I meant here.”

“What? Where?”

Johnny looked at the bed, “Um, there.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I'm beat too, probably lay down as well.”

“With me?” Peter sounded shocked.

Johnny made a face, “Dude, that bed is larger than your apartment. It's a nap, not a proposal.”

“No way man, that's weird.”

Johnny shook his head, “Pete, we're in the 21st century now, you do know two guys can take a nap in the same bed and not hump right?”

“It's weird.”

“You're weird.”

Peter said nothing but looked longingly at the bed.

“It's like they say, Pete, it's not gay if you keep your socks on.”

Parker looked at him confused and Johnny just smiled at him.

“Fine, but I still think it's weird.”

Johnny laughed, “And I still think you're weird.”

Pete sighed and fell face-first into the bed, “Oh my god.”

Johnny jumped in on his side, “I know right? Unstable something or other.”

Peter didn't hear him, he was already asleep.

Peter Parker was in heaven.

He had never felt so safe before, swallowed in what felt like a cocoon of sunlight, and snuggled deeper into it. He just laid there, half awake and half asleep, listening to the breathing around him.

The breathing?

He came awake completely and felt the arms circled around him. Johnny had wrapped himself around Pete, becoming the warmest big spoon in history. Peter tried to move but Johnny's arms were locked around him. He pushed harder and said, “Johnny, Johnny wake up!”

After a few seconds Peter struggled harder, making sure he didn't use his strength and hurt his friend. He grabbed one of Johnny's hand and began to pry it open when he heard, “Jesus Pete, relax.”

“You're awake? Get off me!”

This time he pushed Johnny and the blonde went flying off the bed.

“What the shit?” Johnny exclaimed, flying up from the floor.

“Dude, what the hell?” Peter screamed.

“What is your damage man?”

“You were holding me!”

“Oh please, you sighed and leaned back into it before you knew it was me. You liked it.”

“YOU WERE AWAKE THE WHOLE TIME!”

Johnny sighed and rolled his eyes, “Man you are so fucking square.”

“I'm not into guys dude!”

“And I am?” Johnny asked.

Pete said nothing.

“Look, man, we were asleep, we were just snuggling, there is nothing gay about that.”

“Not gay?”

Johnny walked over to Pete, “Are you gay?”

“No!” Pete said instantly.

“You think I am ?”

Peter hesitated and Johnny's hands balled up into fists.

“No, no I don't think so!” Pete admitted.

“So then tell me, how can the two of us taking a nap be gay?”

“We were snuggling!”

“And that's gay how?”

Peter's eyes almost bugged out.

“Look man, people need human contact. And there is no one in the world I know that needs it more than you. I know you're single right now and your life sucks because it always sucks. You liked it because you need it.”

“It's gay!”

“IT'S NOT GAY!” Johnny roared.

Both men stared at each other, their breaths heaving.

“Look Peter, you have problems. I am your best friend and that isn't saying much because you don't have many. And you're freaking out because we enjoyed a nap and a snuggle. That has nothing to do with gay or straight, it has to do with your damn issues. You're a smart guy so I think you know this.”

“I don't need to snuggle!”

Johnny cocked his head, “Dude, you need serious snuggles.”

“Not from you.”

“Then who?”

And Peter didn't have an answer.

“You're too uptight to just go pick a girl up and spend a night with them, you are tragically single and you don't trust any of your friends enough to just relax.”

“This is nuts.”

“Fine,” Johnny said walking away, “Your laundry is done, take it home, and try to forget all this but I don't think you can. Because you liked it Pete because you need it. You need human contact and that was all I was offering.”

“You planned this?”

Johnny rolled his eyes, “Just go, Pete, before you say something you're going to regret.”

Peter thought about it for a moment and then decided, his friend was right. He went to find his laundry and go home.

And forget about everything Johnny just said.

The fight had been as brutal as it had been quick.

One thing about working with the Avengers, there was a lot more clean up after than he was used to. Hawkeye, Nova, and him had been left to pick up the debris leftover. Clint had asked him what was wrong and the next thing you know he was telling him everything.

“Like....cuddle, cuddle?” Hawkeye asked.

“Right?” Peter said, “It's not just me right?”

“No way, I would have freaked.”

“Thank you!” Peter said, going back to the cleanup.

Nova sighed loudly.

“Sprung a leak kid?” Hawkeye asked him.

Sam looked up and looked like he was about to say something and then shook his head, “Nothing.”

Both men looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to their conversation.

“So what do I do?”

“If it was me? Find a new friend.”

Another sigh.

Peter glanced over for a second and pressed on.

“Yeah, I mean I don't even know what to say to that. No I'm not interested in you like that?”

Louder sigh.

“What's your damage?” Hawkeye asked.

Nova looked up and glared at Peter for a moment, but held his tongue.

“What?” Peter asked, “You got a comment? Say it?”

“You're homophobic.”

“What?”

“You're homophobic and you're both Neanderthals.”

Pete and Clint shared a glance, “Anything you want to tell us Sam?”

Sam dropped the ton of cement he had been holding, “See? So now I say something and you both automatically assume I'm gay. That's homophobic man.”

“I don't have a problem with gay people,” Peter insisted.

“Then why are you so bent out of shape that something your friend is trying to do is gay? Or going to make you look gay? Or that even it being gay is bad?”

Peter stopped.

“Both of you are so weirded out about a guy touching you, that you can't even see what he was talking about.”

“So you'd just snuggle with another guy?”

“Yeah, all the time.”

They both stared at him.

“Me and my friends have no issues with each other. Sometimes I need a hug and my friends give it to me with no judgment. And sometimes, we're lonely and just want to be held. So yeah, we snuggle, it's pretty common with anyone born in this century. And by the way, even if my friend WAS gay and needed a snuggle, I'd give do it in a second because it is my FRIEND asking for love. The fact you two dinosaurs can't see the difference between love and sex is the reason gay people hide who they are.”

He hefted the chunk of concrete over his head, “And ask yourself this if everything I just said was bullshit, why were you so concerned suddenly if I was gay or not? Why are you still? And what does that matter if you truly don't care?”

Before they could answer he took flight and sped away.

“Did we just get schooled by a ten-year-old?”

Pete knew Sam was older than that, but damned if the kid didn't have a point.

The next Sunday Pete texted Johnny.

PETE: YOU AROUND?

JOHNNY: YEAH WHAT'S UP?

PETE: YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT THE DRYER THING, I'M ADDICTED

JOHHNY: LOL, COME OVER.

Pete was able to collect his dirty clothes in a pillowcase this time and was able to sling over to the Baxter Building pretty quick. Johnny's window was open and he came flipping in.

“How am I going to explain Spider-man in my place?” Johnny said closing the windows.”

“Tell them your brother in law came to his senses and hired an actual superhero for your job.”

Johnny shot a flame jet at Pete's ass, making the other man jump.

“Hey! This isn't fireproof!”

“I don't know why you didn't keep the one Reed made you when you were part of the Foundation.”

Pete shrugged, “Just felt too expensive to keep.”

Johnny rolled his eyes and signaled for Herbie to come in.

“Another load of laundry,” he told the droid.

“Olfactory sensors indicate what he is wearing now is soiled.”

Johnny hid his smile, “Dude, Herbie just said you stink.”

“I didn't bring a change of clothes!” Pete protested.

“My closet, su closet,” he said opening it up, “Pick something to wear.”

Pete grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and started to change.

“What the heck are you wearing?” Johnny said looking at Peter step into the jeans, “What are you wearing?”

Peter made a face, “Um, are these special jeans?”

Johnny sighed, “One, you need to get Tik Tok, two, dude just put on some shorts, we're just chllin.”

Johnny found a pair of blue running shorts and tossed them to Pete. “Just slip those on.”

Pete sighed and pulled them on, tossing his uniform to Herbie.

The droid wished out, leaving Pete and Johnny alone.

“So, thanks for this,” Pete said after a second.

“Right, so you wanna dance around this or just talk about it?”

Pete shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed, “Man, you just don't let a guy get his feet do you?”

Johnny sat next to him, “Look, Pete, we've been friends since we were both teenagers. We literally grew up together, in a way. So when you storm out of here one week and then come back, trying to be all nice the next, I know you want to talk about it. Now we can just talk about it or I can wait the two hours it will take for your uptight ass to get to the point.”

Pete just smiled, “We have known each other forever, haven't we?”

“Ben was like an older brother, but you and me, we were the same age, liked the same things, were both figuring out how to be heroes....yeah man, it's been a stretch.”

“Right,” Pete sighed and ran his hands through his hair, “So you were just trying to help out, and I shouldn't have freaked out about it.”

“I agree.”

“And yeah, maybe I did overreact.”

“Completely overreacted.”

Peter gave him a glare.

“Anyways, so I'm sorry, and will you forgive me?”

Johnny chuckled, “Did that when I invited you over, so come on.”

He said patting the bed.

“What? No, I don't want to do that again.”

“Yeah you do,” Johnny said.

“Um, no I don't.”

“You do, that's why you came over. If you wanted to apologize you would have found me out on patrol. If you wanted to just see if things were cool, you would have texted me. You came over because deep down, you know I'm right. You are in a bad place, and you need a snuggle.”

“Please stop calling it that,” Pete said in a soft voice.

Johnny scooted closer, “Look man, you need to get all this gay, straight shit out of your head. Girls can hang out, snuggle, hug, say they love each other and no one thinks their lesbians. Why can't guys?”

Peter was holding his breath, “I don't know.”

Johnny put his arm around Pete's shoulder and pulled him in, “I love you Peter, you're my best friend and a great guy. Please...let me comfort you.”

Pete leaned into the hug but was still tense.

“Here,” Johnny said, pulling them both back onto the bed, “Just lay here with me, we don't even have to talk.”

Pete laid there as Johnny pulled him close and the two of them laid together, on the bed.

“Breathe...” Johnny said, running his hand through Peter's hair.

Peter let out a deep breath as he leaned into the movement.

“See? Just relax, you're always so worried, so focused. I get that, it's why you're a great guy but Peter...”

He wrapped his arm around the other man and pulled him closer until they were spooning, “Let go...I'll catch you.”

Peter could feel himself tense up.

“Shhhh....” Johnny whispered in his ear, “I'll catch you.”

Pete took a deep breath and leaned back into Johnny, who wrapped him in a bear hug and held him tight. At first, Peter didn't move, not sure what to do. And then slowly, Pete put his hand over Johnny's arm and pulled it closer. And the two of them curled up together, enjoying the silence and the human contact.

Within minutes, Peter was asleep.


End file.
